Washington Wizards’ Blow Out Trail Blazers, Win 12th Straight Game At Home

Washington Wizards picked up their 12th consecutive victory inside the Verizon Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Blowout victories have been a rarity for the Washington Wizards this season, who’ve been in the middle of the Eastern Conference fighting for a final playoff spot.

But lately, the team has begun to put it together, especially at home.

Scott Brooks managed to navigate through a rough start to his coaching career in the district, and slowly, the Wizards have bought into his defensive system.

After being down early against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, the Wizards increased their defensive intensity in the second half and came out with a dominant win at home.

In order to solidify a spot in the postseason, the Wizards have to play with that same amount of intensity for 48 minutes – not just the final 20 or so.

On Monday afternoon – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – the Wizards did exactly that, shutting down the Portland Trail Blazers en route to another dominant win inside the Verizon Center, 120-101.

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In a battle of the backcourts – one that’s been debated about – the Wizards’ star guards outplayed the Blazers’ significantly.

Bradley Beal scored 25 points in 29 minutes.

He got to the free throw line eight times and made all of the attempts. Beal also made all three of his 3-point shots.

John Wall contributed with 24 points and 7 assists in 28 minutes of playing time.

Most importantly, the Washington Wizards’ duo shut down Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who are a top-five scoring backcourt in the league.

Wall held Lillard to 6-17 shooting, setting the tone for the entire team defensively, and Beal held McCollum to five made field goals.

Washington’s win wasn’t sealed by the play of their backcourt, however.

Their bench, which ranks last in scoring and field goal percentage, had a breakthrough performance.

Kelly Oubre scored 18 points and made three of his four tries from 3-point range. Tomas Satoransky has been in-and-out of Brooks’ rotation this season, but has received more playing time lately. He scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

The Wizards have improved to 21-19, and while the Blazers will likely miss the playoffs this year, their group is capable of beating anyone on a nightly basis. Lillard and McCollum are regarded as one of the best duos, so the win is significant for Washington, who’s also heavily reliant on their guards.

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Washington will continue their homestand on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. They’ve won 12 straight in D.C.